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Two years ago, at Christmas 2022, before the current PT government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office, Brazil escaped what could have been the biggest terrorist attack in its history: the explosion of a bomb next to a tanker truck loaded with kerosene, aviation fuel, at Brasília (DF) international airport, full of people boarding or arriving for the end of year and Christmas festivities. It was the first major action by Bolsonaro supporters, as the followers of the then defeated president Jair Bolsonaro are called, against the inauguration of Lula’s new government.
Aereporto Internacional de Brasília/Photo: Reproduction
The three main people involved in the plot were identified, arrested and are in the process of resocialization. They were members of the coup movement camped in front of the Army Headquarters and tried to blow up the tanker truck with 63 thousand liters of kerosene.
Led by George Washington de Oliveira Sousa, the trio’s objective was to establish, at the cost of a lot of blood and many deaths if the truck exploded near the airport, a state of siege in the country, starting with the federal capital. They also planned to explode bombs in strategic points in the federal capital on the eve of Christmas. The device near the airport was armed, but failed when activated. After the failed attempt, the Military Police were called and managed to deactivate the explosive. George Washington de Oliveira Sousa, identified as the mastermind of the action, was arrested by the Civil Police hours later, in an operation conducted by the 10th Police Station (Lago Sul). In the property he rented, authorities found an arsenal with explosives and ammunition.
George was sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison, plus a 55-day fine. Since May, he has been serving his sentence in a semi-open regime with outside work. He was also included on the list of the Criminal Executions Court (VEP) for the benefit of temporary departure from Natal, between the 22nd and 27th of December. To obtain the benefit, he read books in prison and received regular visits at the Papuda Penitentiary. Despite the granting of “saidão”, George still needs to return to prison to spend the night daily.
Ian Diego dos Santos Rodrigues, another person involved in the case and a confessed defendant for placing the bomb in the tanker, was sentenced to five years and four months in prison. Since July, he has been serving an open sentence in the city of Comodoro (MT), where he cannot sleep outside his home. Despite this, his current whereabouts are uncertain. The latest information indicates that he is unemployed, working odd jobs in the region.
The third participant in the plot is blogger Wellington Macedo de Souza, who was on the run after the attack and involvement in an attempted invasion of the Federal Police building. Arrested in September last year in Paraguay, by Interpol, and handed over to Brazilian authorities, Wellington was sentenced to six years in prison. Since the beginning of this month, he has been serving his sentence in a semi-open regime, but was not entitled to temporary release due to a still active arrest warrant, issued by Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF).
